My throat was super dry, and I couldn’t stop swallowing. This encounter was NOT going as I planned! He continued glaring at me for a few minutes before pacing the room. Finally, he settled on the couch, shifting his weight from one thigh to the other and running his hand through his hair. I wanted to stay where I was so he couldn’t look into my soul and see how terrible I am, but not joining him would probably spell out my guilt.
Ali’s mouth opened and closed a few times as he grappled with whatever he wanted to both forget and say at the same time. Seeing him wrestle like that is killing me! I should just tell him and get it over with. One shot to the heart. Hopefully, the bullet would come straight out the other side and not bounce around, causing more damage.
“I hate that I’m asking you this, but… Em, something about this feels really weird to me. Is there…something going on between you and Dwayne?”
I feigned disgust. “No! He’s my best friend! This is what we do. You know this!” I wanted to add “how could you ask me that” for dramatic effect, but I couldn’t shift the blame on him. The whole point of me lying is to protect him, but I’m failing miserably.
Ali blinked a few times as if something I said alarmed him. “So I’m not your best friend?”
I should have bruises from fighting back tears so hard. “Of course you are! Lots of sims have more than one best friend.”
“I don’t,” he said matter-of-factly. “You are my favorite sim. I trusted you the most. I don’t have anyone else I go running to when I’m in need, so, again, what’s going on with you two?”
He said trust in the past tense. Somehow he already knows, yet I still can’t bring myself to say the words and break his heart.
Before I could even form my mouth to say “nothing,” he said, “Don’t lie to me, Emmy! I would respect you so much more if you would have just told me the truth. I see the way you look at each other! I’ve been ignoring it because I trusted that you love me and this life we have together. And I know you have history with many of your friends. But while I was sitting here waiting for you, I thought about that. You told me about all your relationships with your friends. Except Dwayne. There’s always a big question mark on him, and I’m wondering if that is because the relationship is still going on.”
“No!! I swear! All of that happened before I met you! I promise you I’m not lying!”
“So why all the secrecy? Why leave him out of your story? You’re acting really weird for someone who’s innocent, and I don’t think it’s all because your mom died. If you did something, own up to it!”
This is more than a suspicion. He definitely knows. I may as well just tell him. He’s already hurt, and my plan blew back in my face. Still, I don’t want to deal that fatal blow. I know he knows what I did, but hearing it will kill him! I’ll admit to something, but not the thing.
“Ok! We kissed. I’m sorry!”
If looks could kill, the Grim Reaper would be looking up my name right now. I watched the tips of his ears go from light tan to red.
“A kiss. Really? You expect me to believe that? You’ve been gone for FOUR hours, Emmy! I reached out, and you ignored me! You’ve been lying this whole night, and I’m supposed to believe you been over there snogging all that time? I’m MARRIED to you! I know how you are! How could you do this to me?!”
The temptation to get offended at whatever he implied about me was strong. But I didn’t have the right to be upset. Whatever he was getting at didn’t make what I did less true.
Like a light switching on, his anger gave way to sadness. “What did I do? I tried to be good to you. I thought we were happy. Am I not enough? Does my weight bother you that much? You don’t love me anymore? Why did you do this to us?”
I truly wish I had answers to give him.
